Multiple motor control system for navigating a marine vessel

ABSTRACT

A control system for navigating a marine vessel employs at least a first motor and a second motor. The control system is configured to communicate with the first and second motors. The control system is configured to receive a position measurement and an orientation measurement for the marine vessel. The control system is further configured to generate at least one control signal for the first motor based on the position measurement and at least one control signal for the second motor based on the orientation measurement.

RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is a continuation of, and claims prioritybenefit to, co-pending and commonly assigned U.S. non-provisionalapplication entitled “MULTIPLE MOTOR CONTROL SYSTEM FOR NAVIGATING AMARINE VESSEL,” application Ser. No. 16/946,701, filed Jul. 1, 2020,which in turn is a continuation of, and claims priority benefit to,co-pending and commonly assigned U.S. non-provisional applicationentitled “MULTIPLE MOTOR CONTROL SYSTEM FOR NAVIGATING A MARINE VESSEL,”application Ser. No. 15/897,922, filed Feb. 15, 2018, which in turnclaims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. ProvisionalApplication Ser. No. 62/596,994, filed Dec. 11, 2017, and entitled “FOOTPEDAL DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING A TROLLING MOTOR.” The above-referencedapplications are here herein incorporated by reference in theirentirety.

BACKGROUND

A marine vessel can employ one or more motors to navigate the marinevessel. For example, a marine vessel typically has a primary motor(e.g., a propulsion motor) that actuates the marine vessel through thewater. In some cases, a marine vessel can further include at least onesecondary motor (e.g., a trolling motor) that can be used instead of orin addition to the propulsion motor in certain situations. For example,a trolling motor may be used instead of the propulsion motor whennavigating the marine vessel through environments that require precision(e.g., navigating around obstacles and/or in shallow water).

SUMMARY

A multiple motor control system for navigating a marine vessel isdisclosed. In embodiments, the control system employs at least twomotors (e.g., at least a first motor and a second motor) to navigate themarine vessel by controlling the position and orientation (e.g., angleand/or heading) of the marine vessel. For example, the motors caninclude two trolling motors, a trolling motor and a thruster, a trollingmotor and a propulsion motor, or any other combination of two or moremotors. The control system includes at least one controller incommunication with the first motor and the second motor. The controlsystem is configured to receive a position measurement and anorientation measurement for the marine vessel. The control system isfurther configured to generate at least one control signal for the firstmotor based on the position measurement and at least one control signalfor the second motor based on the orientation measurement.

A method for navigating a marine vessel with two or more motors is alsodisclosed. The method employs at least two motors (e.g., at least afirst motor and a second motor) to navigate the marine vessel bycontrolling the position and orientation (e.g., angle and/or heading) ofthe marine vessel. In implementations, the method includes: receiving aposition measurement for the marine vessel; receiving an orientationmeasurement for the marine vessel; generating at least one first controlsignal for the first motor based on the position measurement for themarine vessel; and generating at least one second control signal for thesecond motor based on the orientation measurement for the marine vessel.

This Summary is provided solely as an introduction to subject matterthat is fully described in the Detailed Description and Drawings. TheSummary should not be considered to describe essential features nor beused to determine the scope of the Claims. Moreover, it is to beunderstood that both the foregoing Summary and the following DetailedDescription are example and explanatory only and are not necessarilyrestrictive of the subject matter claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanyingfigures. The use of the same reference numbers in different instances inthe description and the figures may indicate similar or identical items.Various embodiments or examples (“examples”) of the present disclosureare disclosed in the following detailed description and the accompanyingdrawings. The drawings are not necessarily to scale. In general,operations of disclosed processes may be performed in an arbitraryorder, unless otherwise provided in the claims.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a marine vessel that can employ a multiplemotor control system, in accordance with an example embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 2A is a front view of a marine vessel, such as the marine vesselillustrated in FIG. 1 , with a front-mounted trolling motor, inaccordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2B is a front view of a marine vessel, such as the marine vesselillustrated in FIG. 1 , with two front-mounted trolling motors, inaccordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3A is a rear view of a marine vessel, such as the marine vesselillustrated in FIG. 1 , with a rear-mounted trolling motor, inaccordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3B is a rear view of a marine vessel, such as the marine vesselillustrated in FIG. 1 , with two rear-mounted trolling motors, inaccordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a rear portion of a marine vessel, suchas the marine vessel illustrated in FIG. 1 , with a rear-mountedthruster, in accordance with an example embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 4B is a side view of a rear portion of the marine vessel, such asthe marine vessel illustrated in FIG. 1 , with a rear-mounted thruster,in accordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5A is a block diagram illustrating a control system for navigatinga marine vessel, such as the marine vessel illustrated in any of FIGS. 1through 4B or FIGS. 8A through 8C, or a combination thereof, where thecontrol system is configured to control a first trolling motor and asecond trolling motor, in accordance with an example embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 5B is a block diagram illustrating a control system for navigatinga marine vessel, such as the marine vessel illustrated in any of FIGS. 1through 4B or FIGS. 8A through 8C, or a combination thereof, where thecontrol system is configured to control a trolling motor and a thruster,in accordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5C is a block diagram illustrating a control system for navigatinga marine vessel, such as the marine vessel illustrated in any of FIGS. 1through 4B or FIGS. 8A through 8C, or a combination thereof, where thecontrol is configured to control a trolling motor and a propulsionmotor, in accordance with an example embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 5D is a block diagram illustrating components of a control systemfor navigating a marine vessel, such as the control system illustratedin any of FIGS. 5A through 5C, or a combination thereof, in accordancewith an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6A is a block diagram illustrating components of a trolling motorthat can be employed with a control system, such as the control systemillustrated in any of FIGS. 5A through 5D, or a combination thereof, inaccordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6B is a block diagram illustrating components of a propulsion motorthat can be employed with a control system, such as the control systemillustrated in any of FIGS. 5A through 5D, or a combination thereof, inaccordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6C is a block diagram illustrating components of a thruster thatcan be employed with a control system, such as the control systemillustrated in any of FIGS. 5A through 5D, or a combination thereof, inaccordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating components of a control systemfor navigating a marine vessel, such as the control system illustratedin any of FIGS. 5A through 5D, or a combination thereof, where thecontrol system includes a controller of a trolling motor, propulsionmotor, and/or thruster, or the control system is at least partiallyembedded within or attached to a trolling motor, propulsion motor,and/or thruster, in accordance with an example embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 8A is a schematic of a marine vessel navigated by at least twotrolling motors in communication with a control system, such as thecontrol system illustrated in any of FIGS. 5A through 5D, FIG. 7 , or acombination thereof, in accordance with an example embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 8B is a schematic of a marine vessel navigated by at least onetrolling motor and at least one thruster in communication with a controlsystem, such as the control system illustrated in any of FIGS. 5Athrough 5D, FIG. 7 , or a combination thereof, in accordance with anexample embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8C is a schematic of a marine vessel navigated by at least onetrolling motor and at least one propulsion motor in communication with acontrol system, such as the control system illustrated in any of FIGS.5A through 5D, FIG. 7 , or a combination thereof, in accordance with anexample embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9A is a block diagram of a marine vessel display system that atleast partially includes or is in communication with a control system,such as the control system illustrated in any of FIGS. 5A through 5D,FIG. 7 , or a combination thereof, in accordance with an exampleembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9B is a block diagram of a marine vessel display system that atleast partially includes or is in communication with a control system,such as the control system illustrated in any of FIGS. 5A through 5D,FIG. 7 , or a combination thereof, where the marine vessel displaysystem includes multiple displays and/or display stations, in accordancewith an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9C is a top view of a marine vessel that can employ a marine vesseldisplay system, such as the marine vessel display system illustrated inFIG. 9A and/or FIG. 9B, in accordance with an example embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 9D is a perspective view of a display for a marine vessel displaysystem, such as the marine vessel display system illustrated in FIG. 9Aand/or FIG. 9B, in accordance with an example embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating a process for navigating a marinevessel, such as the marine vessel illustrated in any of FIGS. 1 through4B or FIGS. 8A through 8C, or a combination thereof, by employing amultiple motor control system, such as the control system illustrated inany of FIGS. 5A through 5D, FIG. 7 , or a combination thereof, inaccordance with an example implementation of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A marine vessel (e.g., a boat) employs one or more motors to navigatethe marine vessel through the water. For example, the marine vesselincludes a primary motor (e.g., a propulsion motor) that actuates themarine vessel through the water. In embodiments, the marine vesselfurther includes at least one secondary motor (e.g., a trolling motorand/or thruster) that can be used instead of or in addition to thepropulsion motor. For example, a trolling motor may be used instead ofthe propulsion motor when navigating the marine vessel throughenvironments that require precision (e.g., navigating around obstaclesand/or in shallow water). Another example is where a trolling motor canbe used to steer the marine vessel while the propulsion motor actuatesthe marine vessel in a forward or backward direction. Similarly, athruster can be used in addition to or instead of the propulsion motorand/or thruster to actuate the marine vessel or a portion thereof (e.g.,the bow or stern) in a first or second direction (e.g., to the right orleft).

A trolling motor (or possibly the propulsion motor) may be used tocontrol (e.g., maintain or navigate towards) a position of the marinevessel. For example, the trolling motor can actuate the marine vessel ina manner that maintains the trolling motor at a fixed (or substantiallyfixed) position in the water. However, while doing so, the trollingmotor is unable to maintain the orientation of the marine vessel in afixed (or substantially fixed) orientation because the marine vessel canpivot around the trolling motor. The same is true with regard to anyreference point of the marine vessel (e.g., a reference point based on aposition of another motor, a center of the marine vessel, etc.). It canbe advantageous to control the position and orientation of the marinevessel, for example, the keep the marine vessel at a position without itturning or rotating. For example, controlling the position andorientation of a fishing boat can help to avoid tangled lines orsituations in which an individual is required to move to anotherposition on the fishing boat in order to cast his/her line.

A multiple motor control system for navigating a marine vessel isdisclosed herein, wherein a control system employs at least two motors(e.g., at least a first motor and a second motor) to navigate the marinevessel by controlling the positon and orientation (e.g., angle and/orheading) of the marine vessel. For example, the motors can include twotrolling motors, a trolling motor and a thruster, a trolling motor and apropulsion motor, or any other combination of two or more motors. Thecontrol system includes at least one controller in communication withthe first motor and the second motor. The control system is configuredto receive a position measurement and an orientation measurement for themarine vessel. The control system is further configured to generate atleast one control signal for the first motor based on the positionmeasurement and at least one control signal for the second motor basedon the orientation measurement.

FIGS. 1 through 8C illustrate embodiments of a marine vessel 100 and acontrol system 200 for the marine vessel 100. As shown in FIG. 1 , themarine vessel 100 has at least one propulsion motor 122 that is theprimary source of propulsion for navigating the marine vessel 100through the water. In an embodiment, the propulsion motor 122 can bemounted to a rear portion (e.g., stern 110 and/or transom 112) of themarine vessel 100. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the marine vessel100 is also shown to include a trolling motor 120. For example, thetrolling motor 120 may be mounted to a front portion (e.g., bow 104) ofthe marine vessel 100 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 2A). The trolling motor120 can be operable in parallel with (e.g., as the same time as) thepropulsion motor 122 to enhance steering capabilities of the marinevessel 100. In other situations, the trolling motor 120 may be operableinstead of the propulsion motor 122 to navigate the marine vessel 100 atslower speeds and/or with greater precision (e.g., when navigatingaround obstacles, in shallow water, or the like). In some situations,the trolling motor 120 may be employed to navigate the marine vessel 100instead of the propulsion motor 122 in order to reduce turbulenceresulting from the marine vessel 100 as it is navigated through thewater. For example, reduced turbulence may be desirable to avoid scaringaway fish or avoid damage to aquatic environments.

While a single front-mounted trolling motor 120 is shown in FIGS. 1 and2A, the trolling motor 120 can be mounted to other portions of themarine vessel 120 (e.g., affixed to other portions of the marinevessel's hull 102). In an embodiment, the trolling motor 120 can bemounted to a rear portion (e.g., stern 110 and/or transom 112) of themarine vessel 100 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 3A). For example, the trollingmotor 120 can be mounted in proximity to (e.g., alongside) thepropulsion motor 122 at the stern 110 and/or transom 112 of the marinevessel 100. In some embodiments, the marine vessel 100 can have aplurality of trolling motors 120 for additional power and/or enhancedsteering capability. For example, in an embodiment shown in FIG. 2B, themarine vessel 100 has two trolling motors (e.g., motors 120A and 120B)mounted to a front portion (e.g., bow 104) of the marine vessel 100. Inan embodiment shown in FIG. 3B, the marine vessel 100 has two trollingmotors (e.g., motors 120A and 120B) mounted to a rear portion (e.g.,stern 110 and/or transom 112) of the marine vessel 100. In otherembodiments, the marine vessel 100 can have at least one front-mountedtrolling motor 120 and at least one rear-mounted trolling motor 120. Theforegoing embodiments are provided by way of example. The propulsionmotor(s) 122 and trolling motor(s) 120 may be mounted in proximity toany location on the marine vessel 100 (e.g., at or near the bow 104,stern 110, starboard 108 or port 106 of the marine vessel 100) dependingon the marine vessel 100 in which the motors are implemented.

FIGS. 4A and 4B show embodiments of the marine vessel 100 with at leastone thruster 124 mounted to the hull 102 of the marine vessel 100. Forexample, the thruster 124 may be mounted in proximity to a rear portion(e.g., at or near the transom 112) of the marine vessel 100. Thethruster 124 can be mounted to a portion of the marine vessel 100 thatis configured to be below the water's surface 125 when the marine vessel100 is in the water. In embodiments, the thruster 124 is rigidly affixedto a portion of the hull 102 that is configured to be below the water'ssurface 125 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 4B). In embodiments, one or morethrusters 124 are configured to actuate the stern 110 of the marinevessel in a first direction (e.g., to the right) or a second direction(e.g., to the left) when the one or more thrusters 124 are active. Inother embodiments, one or more thrusters 124 (e.g., one or morethrusters 124 mounted to a front portion of the marine vessel 100) areconfigured to actuate the bow 104 of the marine vessel in a firstdirection (e.g., to the right) or a second direction (e.g., to the left)when the one or more thrusters 124 are active. For example, at least onethruster 124 may be mounted in proximity to a front portion (e.g., bow104) of the marine vessel 100 and/or in proximity to the starboard 108or port 106. In some embodiments, at least one thruster 124 is mountedto a rear portion of the marine vessel 100 (e.g., as shown in FIGS. 4Aand 4B) and at least one thruster is mounted to a front portion of themarine vessel 100 (e.g., at or near the bow 104). In such embodiments,the thrusters 124 are configured to selectively actuate the bow 104, thestern 110, or the marine vessel 100 in its entirety in a first direction(e.g., to the right) or a second direction (e.g., to the left) when someof the thrusters 124 (e.g., front or rear thrusters) or all of thethrusters 124 (e.g., front and rear) are active. The marine vessel 100may employ one or more thrusters 124 for enhanced steering or control ofthe marine vessel 100 to help navigate through turbulent waters, forenhanced control when navigating the marine vessel 100 around obstacles,when parking the marine vessel 100, or in any other situation where itcan be advantageous to actuate the marine vessel 100 or a portion (e.g.,bow 104 or stern 110) of the marine vessel 100 in a generally left orright direction.

The marine vessel 100 can have any combination of propulsion motor(s)122, trolling motor(s) 120, and thruster(s) 124 for navigating themarine vessel 100 through the water. For example, in an embodiment, themarine vessel 100 includes at least one propulsion motor 122 or at leastone trolling motor 120 for navigating the marine vessel 100 through thewater 100. In another embodiment, the marine vessel 100 includes atleast one propulsion motor 122 and at least one trolling motor 120. Inyet another embodiment, the marine vessel 100 includes at least onepropulsion motor 122 and at least one thruster 124, or at least onetrolling motor 120 and at least one thruster 124. Still in otherembodiments, the marine vessel 100 includes at least one propulsionmotor 122, at least one trolling motor 120, and at least one thruster124.

FIGS. 5A through 5D show example embodiments of the control system 200that is employed to control the marine vessel 100 motors (e.g., trollingmotor(s) 120, propulsion motor(s) 122, and/or thruster(s) 124). Thecontrol system 200 is configured to control at least a first motor and asecond motor. For example, in an embodiment shown in FIG. 5A, thecontrol system 200 is configured to control a first trolling motor 120Aand a second trolling motor 120B. The trolling motors 120A and 120B canbe front-mounted, rear-mounted, or at least one trolling motor (e.g.,motor 120A) can be front-mounted and at least one trolling motor (e.g.,motor 120B) can be rear-mounted. In another example embodiment shown inFIG. 5B, the control system 200 is configured to control at least onetrolling motor 120 (e.g., at least one front-mounted trolling motorand/or at least one rear-mounted trolling motor) and at least onethruster 124 (e.g., at least one front-mounted thruster and/or at leastone rear-mounted thruster). Another example embodiment is shown in FIG.5C, where the control system 200 is configured to control at least onetrolling motor 120 and at least one propulsion motor 122. The controlsystem 200 is configured to control any combination of two motors,including, but not limited to the foregoing embodiments.

As shown in FIG. 5D, the control system 200 may include one or moresensors for detecting an orientation, change in orientation, direction,change in direction, position, and/or change in position of the marinevessel 100. For example, the control system 200 may include a locationdetermining component 220 that is configured to detect a positionmeasurement for the marine vessel 100 (e.g., geographic coordinates ofat least one reference point on the marine vessel 100, such as a motorlocation, center of the marine vessel 100, bow 104 location, stern 110location, etc.). In an embodiment, the location determining component220 is a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver (e.g., aglobal positioning system (GPS) receiver, software defined (e.g.,multi-protocol) receiver, or the like). In some embodiments, the controlsystem 200 is configured to receive a position measurement from anotherdevice. For example, the control system 200 may be configured to receivea position measurement from an external location determiningcomponent/device or from at least one of the motors (e.g., from atrolling motor 120, propulsion motor 122, and/or thruster 124 of themarine vessel 100). In some embodiments, the control system 200 mayinclude a magnetometer 218 configured to detect an orientationmeasurement for the marine vessel 100. For example, the magnetometer 218can be configured to detect a direction in which the bow 104 of themarine vessel 100 is pointed and/or a heading of the marine vessel 100.The magnetometer 218 may be calibrated by pointing the magnetometer 218in at least one reference direction (e.g., North, East, South, West,etc.), where the magnetometer 218 registers at least one referencedirection and detects changes in the pointing direction or heading ofthe marine vessel 100 relative to the reference direction. In someembodiments, the control system 200 is configured to receive anorientation measurement from another device. For example, the controlsystem 200 may be configured to receive an orientation measurement(e.g., a direction in which the bow 104 of the marine vessel 100 ispointed, a heading of the marine vessel 100, and/or vector coordinatesdefined by at least two reference points (e.g., motor locations, bow andstern locations, etc.)) from an external magnetometer, locationdetermining component(s)/device(s), and/or the motors (e.g., trollingmotor(s) 120, propulsion motor(s) 122, and/or thruster(s) 124) of themarine vessel 100. In some embodiments, the control system 200 includesor is communicatively coupled with at least one inertial sensor (e.g.,accelerometer and/or gyroscope) for detecting the orientation or changein orientation of the marine vessel 100. For example, an inertial sensorcan be used instead of or in addition to the magnetometer 218 to detectthe orientation measurement for the marine vessel 100.

The control system 200 includes at least one controller 202communicatively coupled to one or more components of the control system200. For example, the controller 202 can be communicatively coupled tothe location determining component 220 and the magnetometer 218. Thecontroller 202 may be configured to receive the position measurement andthe orientation measurement from the location determining component 220and the magnetometer 218, respectively. In an embodiment, the controller202 is configured to receive at least one of the measurements fromanother device. For example, the controller 202 may be configured toreceive the position measurement and/or the orientation measurement fromat least one of the motors (e.g., trolling motor(s) 120, propulsionmotor(s) 122, and/or thruster(s) 124) of the marine vessel 100. Forexample, the controller 202 can receive the position measurement and/orthe orientation measurement via a receiver 214 or transceiver 216 of thecontrol system 200. In an embodiment, the control system 200 includes awireless transceiver 216, wireless receiver 214, and/or wirelesstransmitter 212. In another embodiment, the control system 200 includesa wired transceiver 216, wired receiver 214, and/or wired transmitter212. In some embodiments, the control system 200 includes a combinationof wired and wireless communication protocols (e.g., transmitter(s) 212,receiver(s) 214, and/or transceiver(s) 216) for communicating with themotors (e.g., trolling motor(s) 120, propulsion motor(s) 122, and/orthruster(s) 124) and possibly with other devices on the marine vessel100.

The controller 202 can be communicatively coupled with some or all ofthe components of the control system 200. The controller 202 has aprocessor 204 included with or in the controller 202 to control thecomponents and functions of the control system 200 described hereinusing software, firmware, hardware (e.g., fixed logic circuitry), or acombination thereof. The terms “controller,” “functionality,” “service,”and “logic” as used herein generally represent software, firmware,hardware, or a combination of software, firmware, or hardware inconjunction with controlling the control system 200. As shown in FIG.5D, the controller 202 can include a processor 204, a memory 206, and acommunications interface 208.

The processor 204 provides processing functionality for at least thecontroller 202 and can include any number of processors,micro-controllers, circuitry, field programmable gate array (FPGA) orother processing systems, and resident or external memory for storingdata, executable code, and other information accessed or generated bythe controller 202. The processor 204 can execute one or more softwareprograms (e.g., multiple motor control module 210) embodied in anon-transitory computer readable medium (e.g., memory 206) thatimplement techniques described herein. The processor 204 is not limitedby the materials from which it is formed or the processing mechanismsemployed therein and, as such, can be implemented via semiconductor(s)and/or transistors (e.g., using electronic integrated circuit (IC)components), and so forth.

The memory 206 can be a tangible, computer-readable storage medium thatprovides storage functionality to store various data and or program codeassociated with operation of the controller 202, such as softwareprograms and/or code segments, or other data to instruct the processor204, and possibly other components of the control system 200/controller202, to perform the functionality described herein. The memory 206 canstore data, such as a program of instructions (e.g., multiple motorcontrol module 210) for operating the control system 200 (including itscomponents), and so forth. It should be noted that while a single memory206 is described, a wide variety of types and combinations of memory(e.g., tangible, non-transitory memory) can be employed. The memory 206can be integral with the processor 204, can comprise stand-alone memory,or can be a combination of both. Some examples of the memory 206 caninclude removable and non-removable memory components, such asrandom-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory (e.g.,a secure digital (SD) memory card, a mini-SD memory card, and/or amicroSD memory card), magnetic memory, optical memory, universal serialbus (USB) memory devices, hard disk memory, external memory, and soforth. In embodiments, the control system 200 and/or the memory 206 caninclude removable integrated circuit card (ICC) memory, such as memoryprovided by a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, a universalsubscriber identity module (USIM) card, a universal integrated circuitcard (UICC), and so on.

The communications interface 208 can be operatively configured tocommunicate with components of the control system 200. For example, thecommunications interface 208 can be configured to transmit data forstorage in the control system 200, retrieve data from storage in thecontrol system 200, and so forth. The communications interface 208 canalso be communicatively coupled with the processor 204 to facilitatedata transfer between components of the control system 200 and theprocessor 204 (e.g., for communicating inputs to the processor 204received from a device communicatively coupled with the controller 202,including, but not limited to, data received from the magnetometer 218,location determining component 220, and/or any other component of thecontrol system 200). It should be noted that while the communicationsinterface 208 is described as a component of controller 202, one or morecomponents of the communications interface 208 can be implemented ascomponents of the control system 200 or components communicativelycoupled to the control system 200 via a wired and/or wirelessconnection. For example, the control system 200 and/or the controller202 can include a transmitter 212, a receiver 214, and/or a transceiver216 for sending/receiving communications (e.g., control signals,position and/or orientation measurements, etc.) to/from the motors(e.g., trolling motor(s) 120, propulsion motor(s) 122, and/orthruster(s) 124, as shown in FIGS. 5A through 5C). For example, thetransmitter 212, receiver 214, and/or transceiver 216 can be directlycoupled (e.g., wired) to one or more of the motors (e.g., trollingmotor(s) 120, propulsion motor(s) 122, and/or thruster(s) 124) orconfigured to wirelessly communicate with one or more of the motors(e.g., trolling motor(s) 120, propulsion motor(s) 122, and/orthruster(s) 124).

The control system 200 can also include and/or can connect to one ormore input/output (I/O) devices (e.g., via the communications interface208), such as a display, a mouse, a touchpad, a touchscreen, a keyboard,a microphone (e.g., for voice commands) and so on. In embodiments, thecontrol system 200/communications interface 208 includes at least oneinput device configured to receive user inputs. For example, the inputdevice can include, but is not limited to, an electromechanical inputdevice (e.g., a button, switch, toggle, trackball, or the like), atouch-sensitive input device (e.g., a touchpad, touch panel, trackpad,or the like), a pressure-sensitive input device (e.g., a force sensor orforce-sensitive touchpad, touch panel, trackpad, button, switch, toggle,trackball, or the like), an audio input device (e.g., microphone), acamera (e.g., for detecting user gestures, or for face/objectrecognition), or a combination thereof.

In embodiments, the controller 202 is configured to generate at leastone control signal for a first motor or set of motors (e.g., trollingmotor(s) 120 and/or propulsion motor(s) 122) based on the positionmeasurement and at least one control signal for a second (different)motor or set of motors (e.g., trolling motor(s) 120, propulsion motor(s)122, and/or thruster(s) 124) based on the orientation measurement. Thecontrol system 200 can be configured to communicate the control signalsto the respective motors. For example, as shown in FIGS. 6A through 6C,a trolling motor 120, propulsion motor 122, and/or thruster 124 caninclude components and/or circuitry for communicating with the controlsystem 200.

In embodiments, the control system 200 is configured to generate one ormore control signals and/or configured to communication data (e.g.,measurements, user inputs, etc.) to a trolling motor 120. As shown inFIG. 6A, the trolling motor 120 may include or may be coupled with areceiver/transceiver 130 (or in some embodiments, a receiver and atransmitter) configured to receive the control signals and/or othercommunications from the control system 200. For example, thereceiver/transceiver 130 can be communicatively coupled to the controlsystem 200 via a wired or wireless connection. The trolling motor 120may also include or may be coupled with a controller 132, which mayinclude components and/or circuitry as described above with regard tocontroller 202. The controller 132 can be configured to control asteering assembly 134 (e.g., electromechanical steering assembly) and/oran actuator 136 (e.g., motor) that drives the propeller 138 of thetrolling motor 120. In embodiments, the controller 132 can be configuredto turn, change the rotational direction of, and/or change therotational speed of the propeller 138 by controlling the steeringassembly 134 and/or actuator 136 based on control signals received fromthe control system 200. In some embodiments, the controller 132 itselfis configured to generate the control signals or a portion thereof basedon communication data (e.g., measurements, user inputs, etc.) receivedfrom the control system 200. The trolling motor 120 may also include oneor more sensors (e.g., location determining component 140, magnetometer142, inertial sensor 144 (e.g., gyroscope 146 and/or accelerometer 148),speed sensor, a combination thereof, or the like), and the controller132 can be configured to generate control signals at least partiallybased on sensory data collected by the one or more sensors and/or can beconfigured to communicate the sensory data to the control system 200.

In some embodiments, the control system 200 is additionally oralternatively configured to generate one or more control signals and/orconfigured to communication data (e.g., measurements, user inputs, etc.)to a propulsion motor 122. As shown in FIG. 6B, the propulsion motor 122may include or may be coupled with a receiver/transceiver 150 (or insome embodiments, a receiver and a transmitter) configured to receivethe control signals and/or other communications from the control system200. For example, the receiver/transceiver 150 can be communicativelycoupled to the control system 200 via a wired or wireless connection.The propulsion motor 122 may also include or may be coupled with acontroller 152, which may include components and/or circuitry asdescribed above with regard to controller 202. The controller 152 can beconfigured to control a steering assembly 154 (e.g., electromechanicalsteering assembly) and/or an actuator 156 (e.g., motor) that drives thepropeller 158 of the propulsion motor 122. In embodiments, thecontroller 152 can be configured to turn, change the rotationaldirection of, and/or change the rotational speed of the propeller 158 bycontrolling the steering assembly 154 and/or actuator 156 based oncontrol signals received from the control system 200. In someembodiments, the controller 152 itself is configured to generate thecontrol signals or a portion thereof based on communication data (e.g.,measurements, user inputs, etc.) received from the control system 200.The propulsion motor 122 may also include one or more sensors (e.g.,location determining component 160, magnetometer 162, inertial sensor164 (e.g., gyroscope 166 and/or accelerometer 168), speed sensor, acombination thereof, or the like), and the controller 152 can beconfigured to generate control signals at least partially based onsensory data collected by the one or more sensors and/or can beconfigured to communicate the sensory data to the control system 200.

In some embodiments, the control system 200 is further configured togenerate one or more control signals and/or configured to communicationdata (e.g., measurements, user inputs, etc.) to a thruster 124. As shownin FIG. 6C, the thruster 124 may include or may be coupled with areceiver/transceiver 170 (or in some embodiments, a receiver and atransmitter) configured to receive the control signals and/or othercommunications from the control system 200. For example, thereceiver/transceiver 170 can be communicatively coupled to the controlsystem 200 via a wired or wireless connection. The thruster 124 may alsoinclude or may be coupled with a controller 172, which may includecomponents and/or circuitry as described above with regard to controller202. The controller 172 can be configured to control an actuator 174(e.g., motor) that drives the propeller 176 of the thruster 124. Inembodiments, the controller 172 can be configured to change therotational direction of and/or change the rotational speed of thepropeller 176 by controlling the actuator 174 based on control signalsreceived from the control system 200. In some embodiments, thecontroller 172 itself is configured to generate the control signals or aportion thereof based on communication data (e.g., measurements, userinputs, etc.) received from the control system 200. The thruster 124 mayalso include one or more sensors (e.g., location determining component178), and the controller 172 can be configured to generate controlsignals at least partially based on sensory data collected by the one ormore sensors and/or can be configured to communicate the sensory data tothe control system 200.

The control system 200 can be communicatively coupled to the trollingmotor 120, propulsion motor 122, and/or thruster 124 as described above,or to any combination of motors on the marine vessel 100. Inembodiments, the control system 200 can be communicatively coupled tomultiple trolling motors 120, the trolling motor 120 and the propulsionmotor 122, the trolling motor 120 and the thruster 124, the propulsionmotor 122 and the thruster 124, or the trolling motor 120, thepropulsion motor 122, and the thruster 124. In some embodiments, such asthe embodiments shown in FIGS. 5A through 5C, the control system 200 iscommunicatively coupled to two or more marine vessel 100 motors (e.g.,trolling motor(s) 120, propulsion motor(s) 122, and/or thruster(s) 124)via wired or wireless connections. In some embodiments, such as theembodiment shown in FIG. 7 , the control system 200 is at leastpartially integrated within a motor. For example, at least a portion ofthe control system 200 can be embedded within or attached to thetrolling motor 120, propulsion motor 122, and/or thruster 124. In someembodiments, the control system 200 can include controller 132,controller 152, and/or controller 172. For example, controller 132,controller 152, and/or controller 172 can be communicatively coupled tocontroller 202 or can replace controller 202 and perform some or all ofthe functions or operations described herein with regard to controller202. In this regard, the control system 200 can be implemented as adistributed control system with controller 202, controller 132,controller 152, and/or controller 172 performing the functions oroperations of the control system 200. For example, the one or morecontrollers can execute the multiple motor control module 210 (ormodules) as one master controller, one master controller with one ormore slave controllers, or as a distributed set of the controllersperforming operations together, sequentially or at least partially inparallel. References herein to the control system 200 can includefunctions or operations performed by controller 202, controller 132,controller 152, and/or controller 172.

In an embodiment shown in FIG. 8A, the control system 200 is configuredto control at least two trolling motors 120 (e.g., trolling motor 120Aand 120B, as shown in FIG. 5A) based on position and orientationmeasurements for the marine vessel 100. For example, the trolling motors120A and 120B can be front-mounted, rear-mounted (e.g., trolling motor120A′ and 120B′), or at least one trolling motor (e.g., trolling motor120A or 120B) can be front-mounted and at least one trolling motor(e.g., trolling motor 120B′ or 120A′) can be rear-mounted. The controlsystem 200 is configured to receive at least one position measurementfor the marine vessel 100. For example, the control system 200 can beconfigured to receive a position measurement P0 from the locationdetermining component 220 of the control system 200. In someembodiments, the control system 200 is configured to receive a positionmeasurement P1 or P1′ from the trolling motor 120A or 120A′ (e.g., fromlocation determining component 140). The control system 200 isconfigured to generate one or more control signals for the trollingmotor 120A or 120A′ based on the position measurement (e.g., positionmeasurement P0, P1, or P1′). In an embodiment, the control system 200can be configured to cause the trolling motor 120 to actuate the marinevessel 100 in a direction and/or speed to cause a reference point (e.g.,center) of the marine vessel 100 to be at a location corresponding toposition measurement P0. In another embodiment, the control system 200can be configured to cause the trolling motor 120A or 120N to actuatethe marine vessel 100 (and/or the trolling motor 120A or 120A′ itself)to cause the trolling motor 120A or 120A′ to be at a locationcorresponding to position measurement P1 or P1′.

While the position P0, P1, or P1′ is maintained, the marine vessel 100may rotated or pivot about the position due to wind, water current, orother forces on the marine vessel 100. To maintain the marine vessel 100in a fixed or substantially fixed orientation, the control system 200 isfurther configured to control a second trolling motor (trolling motor120B or 120B′) based on an orientation measurement for the marine vessel100. For example, the control system 200 can be configured to cause thetrolling motor 120B or 120B′ to actuate the bow 104 or stern 110 of themarine vessel in a first or second direction (e.g., to the right orleft) in order to control (e.g., maintain) the orientation of the marinevessel 100. The control system 200 is configured to receive at least oneorientation measurement for the marine vessel 100. For example, thecontrol system 200 can be configured to receive an orientationmeasurement (e.g., a heading or direction D in which the marine vessel100 is pointed) from the magnetometer 218 of the control system 200. Insome embodiments, the control system 200 is configured to receive anorientation measurement (e.g., direction D) from the trolling motor 120Bor 120B′ (e.g., from magnetometer 142). In other embodiments, theorientation measurement is based on at least one additional positionmeasurement. For example, the orientation measurement can be based on avector defined by any two of P0, P1, P2, P1′, or P2′, or a secondposition measurement P2 or P2′ in addition to P1 or P1′. The controlsystem 200 is configured to generate one or more control signals for thetrolling motor 120B or 120B′ based on the orientation measurement (e.g.,direction D, vector coordinates, or position measurement P2 or P2′). Inan embodiment, the control system 200 can be configured to cause thesecond trolling motor 120B or 120B′ to actuate the marine vessel 100 ina first direction or a second direction (e.g., to the right or left) tocause the vessel 100 to maintain its direction D or vector coordinates(e.g., any two of P0, P1, P2, P1′, or P2′). In another embodiment, thecontrol system 200 is configured to cause the second trolling motor 120Bor 120B′ to actuate the marine vessel 100 (and/or the second trollingmotor 120B or 120B′ itself) to cause the second trolling motor 120B or120B′ to be at a location corresponding to position measurement P2 orP2′.

In an embodiment shown in FIG. 8B, the control system 200 is configuredto control at least one trolling motor 120 and at least one thruster 124(e.g., as shown in FIG. 5B) based on position and orientationmeasurements for the marine vessel 100. For example, the trolling motor120 can be front-mounted, rear-mounted (e.g., trolling motor 120′), orat least one trolling motor (e.g., trolling motor 120) can befront-mounted and at least one trolling motor (e.g., trolling motor120′) can be rear-mounted. The control system 200 is configured toreceive at least one position measurement for the marine vessel 100. Forexample, the control system 200 can be configured to receive a positionmeasurement P0 from the location determining component 220 of thecontrol system 200. In some embodiments, the control system 200 isconfigured to receive a position measurement P1 or P1′ from the trollingmotor 120 or 120′ (e.g., from location determining component 140). Thecontrol system 200 is configured to generate one or more control signalsfor the trolling motor 120 or 120′ based on the position measurement(e.g., position measurement P0, P1, or P1′). In an embodiment, thecontrol system 200 can be configured to cause the trolling motor 120and/or 120′ to actuate the marine vessel 100 in a direction and/or speedto cause a reference point (e.g., center) of the marine vessel 100 to beat a location corresponding to position measurement P0. In anotherembodiment, the control system 200 can be configured to cause thetrolling motor 120 or 120′ to actuate the marine vessel 100 (and/or thetrolling motor 120 or 120′ itself) to cause the trolling motor 120 or120′ to be at a location corresponding to position measurement P1 orP1′. To control the orientation of the marine vessel 100 (e.g., bymaintaining the marine vessel 100 in a fixed or substantially fixedorientation), the control system 200 is further configured to controlthe thruster 124 (e.g., a front or rear-mounted thruster) based on anorientation measurement for the marine vessel 100. For example, thecontrol system 200 can be configured to cause the thruster 124 toactuate the bow 104 or stern 110 of the marine vessel in a first orsecond direction (e.g., to the right or left) in order to control (e.g.,maintain) the orientation of the marine vessel 100.

The control system 200 is configured to receive at least one orientationmeasurement for the marine vessel 100. For example, the control system200 can be configured to receive an orientation measurement (e.g., aheading or direction D in which the marine vessel 100 is pointed) fromthe magnetometer 218 of the control system 200. In some embodiments, thecontrol system 200 is configured to receive an orientation measurement(e.g., direction D) from the trolling motor 120 or 120′ (e.g., frommagnetometer 142). In other embodiments, the orientation measurement isbased on at least one additional position measurement. For example, theorientation measurement can be based on a vector defined by any two ofP0, P1, P1′, or P2, or a second position measurement P2 in addition toP1 or P1′. The control system 200 is configured to generate one or morecontrol signals for the thruster 124 based on the orientationmeasurement (e.g., direction D, vector coordinates, or positionmeasurement P2). In an embodiment, the control system 200 can beconfigured to cause the thruster 124 to actuate the marine vessel 100 ina first direction or a second direction (e.g., to the right or left) tocause the marine vessel 100 to maintain its direction D or vectorcoordinates (e.g., any two of P0, P1, P1′, or P2). In anotherembodiment, the control system 200 is configured to cause the thruster124 to actuate the marine vessel 100 (and/or the thruster 124 itself) tocause the thruster 124 to be at a location corresponding to positionmeasurement P2.

In some implementations, a propulsion motor 122 is used to actuate themarine vessel 100 through the water, while a trolling motor 120 isprimarily employed to steer the marine vessel 100 while travels throughthe water. For example, as shown in FIG. 8C, the marine vessel 100 canbe steered along a navigation path 101 (e.g., a preselected,user-defined, and/or programmed path) through the water. The controlsystem 200 can be configured to control at least one trolling motors 120and at least one propulsion motor 122 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 5C) basedon position and orientation measurements for the marine vessel 100 whilethe marine vessel 100 is navigated along path 101. The control system200 is configured to receive at least one position measurement for themarine vessel 100. For example, the control system 200 can be configuredto receive a position measurement P0 from the location determiningcomponent 220 of the control system 200. In some embodiments, thecontrol system 200 is configured to receive a position measurement P1 orP1′ from the trolling motor 120 or 120′ (e.g., from location determiningcomponent 140). The control system 200 is configured to generate one ormore control signals for the trolling motor 120 or 120′ based on theposition measurement (e.g., position measurement P0, P1, or P1′). In anembodiment, the control system 200 can be configured to cause thetrolling motor 120 and/or 120′ to actuate the marine vessel 100 in adirection and/or speed to cause a reference point (e.g., center) of themarine vessel 100 to be at a location corresponding to a position alongpath 101 that is subsequent to the measured position P0. In anotherembodiment, the control system 200 can be configured to cause thetrolling motor 120 or 120′ to actuate the marine vessel 100 (and/or thetrolling motor 120 or 120′ itself) to cause the trolling motor 120 or120′ to be at a location corresponding to a position along path 101 thatis subsequent to the measured position P1 or P1′.

To control the orientation of the marine vessel 100 (e.g., bymaintaining the marine vessel 100 in a fixed or substantially fixedorientation), the control system 200 is further configured to controlthe propulsion motor 122 based on an orientation measurement for themarine vessel 100. For example, the control system 200 can be configuredto cause the propulsion motor 122 to steer the stern 110 of the marinevessel 100 in a first or second direction (e.g., to the right or left)in order to control (e.g., maintain) the orientation of the marinevessel 100. The control system 200 is configured to receive at least oneorientation measurement for the marine vessel 100. For example, thecontrol system 200 can be configured to receive an orientationmeasurement (e.g., a heading or direction D in which the marine vessel100 is pointed) from the magnetometer 218 of the control system 200. Insome embodiments, the control system 200 is configured to receive anorientation measurement (e.g., direction D) from the trolling motor 120or 120′ (e.g., from magnetometer 142), or from the propulsion motor 122(e.g., from magnetometer 168). In other embodiments, the orientationmeasurement is based on at least one additional position measurement.For example, the orientation measurement can be based on a vectordefined by any two of P0, P1, P1′, or P2, or a second positionmeasurement P2 in addition to P1 or P1′. The control system 200 isconfigured to generate one or more control signals for the propulsionmotor 122 based on the orientation measurement (e.g., direction D,vector coordinates, or position measurement P2). In an embodiment, thecontrol system 200 can be configured to cause the propulsion motor 122to steer the marine vessel 100 in a first direction or a seconddirection (e.g., to the right or left) to cause the marine vessel 100 tomaintain its direction D or vector coordinates (e.g., any two of P0, P1,P1′, or P2). In another embodiment, the control system 200 is configuredto cause the propulsion motor 122 to actuate the marine vessel 100(and/or the propulsion motor 122 itself) to cause the propulsion motor122 to be at a location corresponding to a position along path 101 thatis subsequent to the measured position P2 of the propulsion motor 122.

In some embodiments, the control system 200 is further configured tocontrol the first motor or set of motors (e.g., trolling motor(s) 120and/or propulsion motor(s) 122) based on the position measurement andthe second (different) motor or set of motors (e.g., trolling motor(s)120, propulsion motor(s) 122, and/or thruster(s) 124) based on theorientation measurement by generating one or more control signals basedon a current speed and/or direction of the marine vessel 100. Forexample, the control system 200 can be configured to generate one ormore control signals that cause the first motor(s) or the secondmotor(s) to ramp up to an operating speed and direction slowly (e.g., bygradually increasing the motor speed and/or gradually adjusting thesteering) in order to avoid jerking of the marine vessel 100 (e.g., toavoid passengers losing balance, etc.). In an embodiment, the controlsystem 200 is configured to receive one or more inertial measurements(e.g., from inertial sensor 144 or 164), and is further configured togenerate the one or more control signals for the first motor(s) and/orsecond motor(s) based on the inertial measurements. For example, thecontrol system 200 can be configured to generate one or more controlsignals that cause the first motor(s) and/or second motor(s) to actuatethe marine vessel 100 without exceeding a predefined/preselected maximumacceleration (e.g., a maximum g-force).

The foregoing embodiments are provided as examples, and it is to beunderstood that, as described herein, the control system 200 can beconfigured to operate with at least two motors, and in some embodiments,the control system 200 can be configured to operate with three or moremotors under the same or similar principles. In some embodiments, thecontrol system 200 and two trolling motors 120 can be a system, or thecontrol system 200, at least one trolling motor 120 and at least onethruster 124 can be a system, or at least one trolling motor 120 and atleast one propulsion motor 122 can be a system, or at least onepropulsion motor 122 (e.g., operating as a trolling motor 120) and atleast one thruster 124 can be a system, or at least one trolling motor122, at least one propulsion motor 120, and at least one thruster 124can be a system, or any other combination of two or more motors that canactuate at least two reference points on a marine vessel independently.

As shown in FIGS. 9A through 9D, the control system 200 may also beconfigured to communication with a marine vessel display system 300. Forexample, the control system 200 can be communicatively coupled (e.g.,wired or wirelessly connected) to the marine vessel display system 300,or included within the marine vessel display system 300 (e.g., as acomponent of the marine vessel display system 300. The marine vesseldisplay system 300 may be mounted in a marine vessel 100 (e.g., boat,ship, sailboat, or other watercraft), as shown in FIG. 9C. The marinevessel display system 300 may assist operators of the marine vessel 300in monitoring information related to the operation of the marine vessel300. As utilized herein, the term operator may mean any user of themarine vessel display system 300. For example, an operator may be anowner of the marine vessel 300, a crew member, a pilot, a passenger, andso forth.

As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the marine vessel display system 300 caninclude at least one input 314 for receiving data from one or moremarine input sources 316; a display 308 for presenting informationrepresentative of at least some of the data from the marine inputsources 316; and a processing system 302 in communication with theinputs 314 and the display 308. As described in more detail below, theprocessing system 302 may implement a plurality of modes of operation,each of which may cause the display 308 to present informationrepresentative of data from predetermined ones of the marine inputsources 316 and in selected formats. The marine vessel display system300 may further comprise a position-determining component 312 thatfurnishes geographic position data for the marine vessel 300. Theprocessing system 302 may implement a mode selector 304 configured toselect between a plurality of modes of operation, respective ones ofwhich present information representative of data from selected marineinput sources 316 on the display 308. The processing system 302 mayfurther be configured to cause at least one of automatic activation ordeactivation of an equipment of the marine vessel (e.g., turn on a fishfinder, start a trolling motor, activate an anchor system, start or shutdown the engines of the marine vessel, activate a navigation system,etc.) during selection of a particular mode of operation. In anembodiment, the processing system 302 is coupled to and/or includes thecontrol system 200 that is configured to control the two or more motors(e.g., trolling motor(s) 120, propulsion motor(s) 122, and/orthruster(s) 124) of the marine vessel 100.

The input 314 may be any wireless or wired device or devices forreceiving data from the marine input sources 316 and transferring thedata to the processing system 302. The input 314 may comprise, forexample, one or more Ethernet ports, Universal Serial Bus (USB) Ports,High Definition Multi-Media Interface (HDMI) ports, memory card slots,video ports, radio frequency (RF) receivers, infrared (IR) receivers,Wi-Fi receivers, Bluetooth devices, and so forth.

The marine input sources 316 may provide data to the processing system302 and may comprise any measurement devices, sensors, receivers, orother components that sense, measure, or otherwise monitor components ofthe marine vessel 300 or its surroundings. For example, the marine inputsources 316 may include sensors that measure or sense vessel fuel level,wind speed, wind direction, vessel temperature, ambient temperature,water current speed, rudder position, an azimuth thruster position,water depth, boat water storage level, anchor status, boat speed,combinations thereof, and the like. In an embodiment (e.g., as shown inFIG. 9C), a marine input source 316 includes an integrated or externalsonar sounder including a sonar transducer. In some embodiments, themarine input sources 316 can also include an integrated or externalradar scanner or other proximity sensor.

The marine input sources 316 may also include transmitters, receivers,transceivers, and other devices that receive data from external sources.For example, the marine input sources 316 may include an integrated orexternal weather receiver for receiving weather data from a weathersource, a satellite entertainment system receiver for receivingentertainment content broadcast via satellite, and/or a globalpositioning system (GPS) receiver or other satellite navigation receiverfor receiving navigation signals.

The marine input sources 316 may also comprise a receiver or otherdevice for communicating with transmitters or other devices worn by crewand/or passengers (hereinafter “wearable transmitter”) on the marinevessel 300. For example, crew and passengers of the marine vessel 300may be provided with a wearable transmitter configured to warn of “manoverboard” emergencies. Such a wearable transmitter may detect when thewearer is no longer on the marine vessel 300, for example, by sensingthe presence of water or by comparing the current geographic position ofthe wearer to the current geographic position of the marine vessel 300,and may thereafter provide a transmission to cause the marine vesseldisplay system 300 to enter a man overboard mode of operation and to aidin the recovery of the wearer (e.g., by providing the GPS position ofthe wearer, a locating beacon, or the like). Similarly, crew andpassengers of the marine vessel 300 may be provided with a wearabletransmitter that is configured to provide a transmission when thewearable transmitter, or an associated medical monitoring device,detects that the wearer is experiencing a medical emergency or healthissue. The transmission may cause the marine vessel display system 300to initiate an automated communication requesting assistance (e.g., anS.O.S. radio transmission), initiate an autopilot mode of operation, orthe like. Still further, crew and passengers of the marine vessel 300may be provided with a wearable transmitter that is configured toprovide radio communication between the wearer and an operator of themarine vessel display system 300. In embodiments, a wearable transmittermay be provided that is capable of furnishing multiple functions such asthose described herein above.

The marine input sources 316 may also comprise a security system formonitoring, ports, doors, windows, and other parts of the marine vessel300 against unauthorized access and one or more cameras for providingvideo and/or other images of the marine vessel 300 and/or surroundingsof the marine vessel 300.

The marine input sources 316 may comprise one or more computers (e.g.,control system 200) that may be used to transfer data to the marinevessel display system 300. The marine input sources 316 may beintegrally formed with the marine vessel display system 300, may bestand-alone devices, or may be a combination of both. For example, asonar sounder may be integrated into the marine vessel display system300 or may be an external sonar sounder module. Similarly, a radarscanner may be integrated into the marine vessel display system 300 orbe an external device. The marine input sources 316 may be operatedand/or adjusted using controls on the marine vessel display system 300or may have their own controls.

The display 308 may be communicatively coupled with the processingsystem 302 and may be configured for displaying text, data, graphics,images and other information representative of data from the marineinput sources 316 and/or other sources. An example embodiment of thedisplay 308 is shown in FIG. 9D. The display 308 may be a liquid crystaldisplay (LCD), light-emitting diode (LED) display, light-emittingpolymer (LEP) display, thin film transistor (TFT) display, gas plasmadisplay, or any other type of display. The display 308 may be backlitsuch that it may be viewed in the dark or other low-light environments.The display 308 may be of any size and/or aspect ratio, and in one ormore embodiments, may be 15 inches, 17 inches, 19 inches, or 24 inches(measured diagonally). In some embodiments, the display 308 may includea touchscreen display 310. The touchscreen display 310 may employ anytouchscreen technology, including, but not limited to, resistive,capacitive, or infrared touchscreen technologies, or any combinationthereof.

The processing system 302 may control the presentation of information onthe display 308, may perform other functions described herein, and canbe implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or a combinationthereof. The processing system 302 may include any number of processors,controllers, microprocessors, microcontrollers, programmable logiccontrollers (PLCs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), applicationspecific integrated circuits (ASICs), or any other component orcomponents that are operable to perform, or assist in the performanceof, the operations described herein.

The processing system 302 may also be communicatively coupled to orinclude memory 306 for storing instructions or data. The memory 306 maybe a single component or may be a combination of components that providethe requisite storage functionality. The memory 306 may include varioustypes of volatile or non-volatile memory such as flash memory, opticaldiscs, magnetic storage devices, SRAM, DRAM, or other memory devicescapable of storing data and instructions. The memory 306 may communicatedirectly with the processing system 302, or may communicate over a databus or other mechanism that facilitates direct or indirectcommunication. The memory 306 may optionally be structured with a filesystem to provide organized access to data existing thereon.

The memory 306 may store one or more databases that may includeinformation about the marine vessel 300 in which the marine vesseldisplay system 300 is used, such as the length, width, weight, turningradius, top speed, draft, minimum depth clearance, minimum heightclearance, water capacity, fuel capacity and/or fuel consumption rate ofthe marine vessel 300. The databases may also store information relatedto the locations and types of navigational aids including buoys,markers, lights, or the like. In some embodiments, the informationrelated to navigational aids may be provided by the Coast Guard or othermap data sources.

The processing system 302 may implement one or more computer programsthat provide the modes of operation described below, that control thedisplay of information on the display 308 as described herein, and/orthat cause automatic activation or deactivation of an equipment of themarine vessel during selection of the first mode of operation. Thecomputer programs may comprise ordered listings of executableinstructions for implementing logical functions in the processing system302. The computer programs can be embodied in any non-transitorycomputer-readable medium for use by or in connection with an instructionexecution system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer-based system,processor-containing system, or other system that can fetch theinstructions from the instruction execution system, apparatus, ordevice, and execute the instructions. In the context of thisapplication, a “computer-readable medium” can be any non-transitorymeans that can contain, store, communicate, propagate or transport theprogram for use by or in connection with the processing system 302 orother instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. Thecomputer-readable medium can be, for example, but not limited to, anelectronic, magnetic, optical, electro-magnetic, infrared, orsemi-conductor system, apparatus, device, or propagation medium. Morespecifically, although not inclusive, examples of the computer-readablemedium would include the following: an electrical connection having oneor more wires, a portable computer diskette, a random access memory(RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable, programmable, read-onlymemory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, and a portable compactdisk read-only memory (CDROM).

In accordance with the present disclosure, the processing system 302 mayimplement a plurality of modes of operation, each of which may presentinformation representative of data from selected marine input sources316 via the display 308. In some embodiments, the information may bepresented in a desired format to minimize confusion and increase ease ofuse. For example, the processing system 302 may implement a pre-tripplanning mode in which information representative of trip planning datais presented on the display 308. The trip planning data may be uploaded,transmitted, or otherwise communicated to the marine vessel displaysystem 300 from one or more marine input sources 316 and may includeroute planning data; waypoint data; journey plans; forecasted wind,current, storm, and/or tidal conditions; vessel fuel requirements;vessel water requirements; and other data that may be useful to anoperator while planning a journey. The pre-trip planning mode may permitan operator to create a journey plan or similar plan on a remote orlocal computer and then transfer information related to the plan to themarine vessel display system 300 so it can be presented on the display308 and accessed by the operator while operating the marine vessel 300.

The processing system 302 may also implement a boat preparation mode inwhich information representative of water storage data, fuel level data,hatch status data and/or other boat readiness data is presented on thedisplay 308. The boat preparation mode may provide information relatedto a boat's readiness for use.

The processing system 302 may also implement a close quarters mode inwhich information representative of proximity data and navigation datais presented on the display 308. The close quarters mode may beparticularly useful when navigating in a harbor or other confined areawhen an operator needs to be aware of his or her vessel's locationrelative to other vessels and obstacles. The close quarters mode mayalso present information from a pilot book, local speed limits, rules,regulations, and so forth, on the display 308.

The processing system 302 may also implement a docking/undocking mode inwhich information representative of proximity data from a proximitysensor, wind data from a wind sensor, water current data from a currentsensor, rudder position data from a rudder position sensor, and/orazimuth thruster position data from an azimuth thruster position sensoris presented on the display 308. The docking/undocking mode permits anoperator to view representations of obstacles such as stationary boats,docks, and other hazards while simultaneously monitoring windconditions, current conditions, and the status of components on thevessel while docking or undocking the vessel.

The processing system 302 may also implement a main transit mode inwhich information representative of fuel level data, navigation data,water depth data, and/or weather data is presented on the display 308. Afeature of the main transit mode may be monitoring the progress of themarine vessel 300 against a journey plan. For example, the processingsystem 302 may compare information related to a desired path of transitwith the current position of the marine vessel 300 received from theposition-determining component 312 while the marine vessel 300 is intransit to determine if the marine vessel 300 is off course, has enoughfuel to reach its intended destination, and so forth, and may thendisplay such information on the display 308. The main transit mode mayalso present information representative of nearby vessels, obstacles,and so forth.

The processing system 302 may also implement an anchoring mode in whichinformation representative of the anchor status data, wind data, depthdata, tide data, proximity data, and/or navigation is presented on thedisplay 308. The anchoring mode may permit an operator to find suitablelocations to anchor the marine vessel 300, and alert the operator if theanchor is dragging and/or if the marine vessel 300 is moving when itshould not be.

The processing system 302 may also implement an off-boat monitoring modein which information representative of security data, anchor statusdata, wind data, and/or weather data is presented on the display 308. Insome embodiments, the marine vessel display system 300 may send texts,images, and so forth, to a remote device, such as an operator's mobiletelephone or a computer, via a cellular telephone connection, radiofrequency transmitter, the Internet, and so forth, so that the operatormay monitor the marine vessel 300 remotely.

The processing system 302 may also implement a fishing mode in whichinformation representative of fish finder data, water temperature data,navigation data, and/or proximity data is presented on the display 308.The fishing mode may allow an operator to view representations of fish,other boats, and hazards while fishing and to monitor water conditionsto determine if they are conducive to fishing.

The processing system 302 may also implement a boat storage andtransport mode in which information representative of photographic data,navigation data, and/or proximity data is presented on the display 308.As with the off-boat monitoring mode, the processing system 302 maydisplay such information on the display 308 and/or transmit it to aremote device.

The processing system 302 may also implement a man overboard mode inwhich information representative of passenger location data and/ornavigation data is presented on the display 308. The man overboard modemay display an alert and/or sound an alarm when any of the locationdevices worn by passengers indicate that a passenger is outside of athreshold distance from the marine vessel 300 and may have fallenoverboard. The man overboard mode may also record and display the lastknown coordinates for the passenger when he or she left the marinevessel 300 and may automatically send such data to a marine rescueauthority such as the United States Coast Guard or the like.

The processing system 302 may also implement a hazard hit mode in whichinformation representative of bilge water level data is presented on thedisplay 308. The hazard hit mode may allow an operator to quicklydetermine if the marine vessel 300 is taking on water and, if so, therate at which the marine vessel 300 is taking on water. The hazard hitmode may also determine if a bilge pump can remove the water quicklyenough to keep the marine vessel 300 afloat or if the marine vessel 300should be abandoned. The hazard hit mode may also alert authorities suchas the United States Coast Guard, or the like, of the position andstatus of the marine vessel 300.

The above-described modes of operation are only examples of modes thatmay be implemented by the processing system 302. Other modes ofoperation, or combinations or portions of the above-described modes, mayalso be implemented without departing from the scope of the invention.

In addition to displaying information from one or more selected marineinput sources 316, each mode of operation may present information in aparticular operator-selected or otherwise predetermined format. Forexample, some of the information may be presented in the form of one ormore virtual devices that mimic the appearance and/or function of agauge, instrument, or other analog device. Each virtual device may havea unique collection of graphical and functional properties that may beconfigured by a layout designer and/or adjusted by an operator. Examplesof virtual devices that may be presented with the marine vessel displaysystem 300 include a chartplotter, a radar screen, a fishfinder, acamera/video screen, digital instruments with numbers, analog instrumentgauges, autopilot interfaces, and entertainment interfaces. In someembodiments, the display format may change based on a current operatingmode. For example, if the selected mode of operation from a first modeof operation, such as a main transit mode of operation, to a second modeof operation, such as a docking/undocking, anchoring, or fishing mode ofoperation or other modes of operation, the display format may changeaccordingly to accommodate features relevant to the selected mode ofoperation.

The processing system 302 may further be configured to cause automaticactivation or deactivation of various equipment of the marine vesselduring selection of particular modes of operation. In embodiments,equipment of the marine vessel 300 for which use may be expected orpossible during the time a mode of operation is selected may beassociated with that mode of operation. The processing system 302 maythen automatically activate such equipment when the mode of operation isselected. Similarly, the processing system 302 may automaticallydeactivate other equipment that is no longer expected to be used whilethe mode of operation is selected. For example, when a fishing mode isselected the processing system 302, the processing system 302 may issuea command to shut down or idle the marine vessel's engine, start atrolling motor, and/or turn on a fish finder. Similarly, when a hazardhit mode is initiated, the processing system 302 may automatically causea bilge pump to be turned on, and/or may automatically tune a marineradio to alert authorities such as the United States Coast Guard, or thelike, of the position and status of the marine vessel 300 (e.g.,transmit an S.O.S. call). In embodiments, the processing system 302 maybe configured to cause the automatic activation or deactivation of oneor more output devices 320 via an output 318 when a particular mode ofoperation is selected, as described below.

The position-determining component 312 may be configured to providelocation-determining functionality for the marine vessel display system300 and, optionally, the marine input sources 316 and/or other systemand components employed by the marine vessel 300. Location-determiningfunctionality, for purposes of the following discussion, may relate to avariety of different navigation techniques and other techniques that maybe supported by “knowing” one or more locations. For instance,location-determining functionality may be employed to provide locationdata, timing data, speed data, and/or a variety of othernavigation-related data.

In implementations, the position-determining component 312 may comprisea receiver that is configured to receive signals from one or moreposition-transmitting sources. For example, the position-determiningcomponent 312 may be configured for use with a Global NavigationSatellite system (GNSS). In embodiments, the position-determiningcomponent 312 may be a global positioning system (GPS) receiver operableto receive navigational signals from GPS satellites and to calculate alocation of the marine vessel 300 as a function of the signals.

While a GPS system is described herein, it is contemplated that a widevariety of other positioning systems may also be used, such asterrestrial based systems (e.g., wireless-telephony systems or datasystems that broadcast position data from cellular towers), wirelessnetworks that transmit positioning signals, and so on. For example,positioning-determining functionality may be implemented through the useof a server in a server-based architecture, from a ground-basedinfrastructure, through one or more sensors (e.g., gyros or odometers),and so on. Other example systems include, but are not limited to, aGlobal Orbiting Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), a Galileonavigation system, or other satellite navigation system.

The output 318 may be any wired or wireless port, transceiver, memoryslot, or other device for transferring data or other information fromthe processing system 302 to the output devices 320. The output devices320 may be any devices capable of receiving information from theprocessing system 302 or being controlled by the marine vessel displaysystem 300 such as a marine radio, beacon, lighting system, and soforth. In embodiments, the processing system 302 may be configured tocause at least one of automatic activation or deactivation of the outputdevices 320 via the output 318. For example, the processing system 302may automatically tune a channel on a marine radio, activate ordeactivate a beacon, turn a lighting system on or off, or the like,during selection of various modes of operation.

The marine vessel display system 300 may also include a speaker forproviding audible instructions and feedback, a microphone for receivingvoice commands, an infrared port for wirelessly receiving andtransmitting data and other information from and to nearby electronics,and other information, and a cellular or other radio transceiver forwirelessly receiving and transmitting data from and to remote devices.

In addition to the input 314 and output 318, the marine vessel displaysystem 300 may also include a number of other Input/Output (I/O) portsthat permit data and other information to be communicated to and fromthe processing system 302. The I/O ports may include one or moreremovable memory card slots, such as a micro SD card slot, or the likefor receiving removable memory cards, such as microSD cards, or thelike, and/or an Ethernet port for coupling a processing system 302 toanother processing system such as a personal computer. Databases ofgeographic areas cross-referenced with modes of operation, navigationalsoftware, cartographic maps and other data and information may be loadedin the marine vessel display system 300 via the I/O ports, the wirelesstransceivers, or the infrared port mentioned above. The data may bestored in memory 306 of processing system 302. In some embodiments,stored cartographic maps may be upgraded, downgraded, or otherwisemodified in the background without interfering with the primary uses ofthe marine vessel display system 300. If multiple processing systems 302are employed by the marine vessel display system 300, the upgrade,downgrade, or modification may be applied to all processing systems 202.Thus, for example, the various components of the marine vessel displaysystem 300 may be easily upgraded, downgraded, or modified withoutmanually and tediously installing the same data on each of thecomponents. Such functionality may also facilitate data uniformity amongthe various components of the marine vessel display system 300.

The marine vessel display system 300 may further include at least onehousing that encloses and protects the other components of the marinevessel display system 300 from the environment (e.g., moisture,contaminants, vibration, impact, etc.). The housing may include mountinghardware for removably securing the marine vessel display system 300 toa surface within the marine vessel 100 or may be configured to bepanel-mounted within the marine vessel 100. The housing may beconstructed from a suitable lightweight and impact-resistant materialsuch as, for example, plastic, nylon, aluminums, composites, steels, orany combination thereof. The housing may include appropriate gaskets orseals to make it substantially waterproof or water resistant. Thehousing may take any suitable shape or size, and the particular size,weight and configuration of the housing may be changed without departingfrom the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9B illustrates an embodiment of the marine vessel display system300, where the marine vessel display system 300 employs a plurality ofindependent displays (e.g., displays 308A through 308E). Two or more ofthe displays (e.g., displays 308A through 308E) may be mounted proximate(e.g., adjacent) to one another to form one or more display stations inthe marine vessel 300. For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 9B and 9C,three displays 308A, 308B, 308C may be mounted together to form a firstdisplay station 322 in a first area of the marine vessel 100, and twoother displays 308D, 308E may be mounted together to form a seconddisplay station 324 in a second area of the marine vessel 300. Themarine vessel display system 300 may also include additional displays308 grouped into one or more additional display stations. Theembodiments described herein and shown in the figures are exampleimplementations of the technology; however, it is contemplated that anynumber of displays and/or display stations can be employed by the marinevessel display system 300 without departing from the scope of thisdisclosure. Furthermore, the processing system 302 may be anyconfiguration of processors that enables communication with one or moredisplays (e.g., displays 308A through 308E). In some embodiments, eachdisplay 308 and/or display station 322 or 324 may have a separateprocessing system 302, or one processing system 302 may control alldisplays 308 of both display stations 322 and 324 and any other displaystations, or any combination thereof (e.g., some displays 308 haverespective separate processing systems 302 and some displays 308 haveshared processing systems 302). In embodiments including multipleprocessing systems 302 for respective displays 308 and/or displaystations 322 or 324, the processing systems 302 may coordinate theiractivities with other processing systems 302 of the marine vesseldisplay system 300. The processing system 302 may include any number ofprocessors, micro-controllers, or other processing systems and residentor external memory for storing data and other information accessed orgenerated by the marine vessel display system 300.

FIG. 10 illustrates an example process 400 that employs a control system200 for navigating a marine vessel (e.g., marine vessel 100) through thewater. In general, operations of disclosed processes (e.g., process 400)may be performed in an arbitrary order, unless otherwise provided in theclaims. The control system 200 can be communicatively coupled to two ormotors of a marine vessel. For example, in an implementation, thecontrol system 200 is communicatively coupled to (and/or at leastpartially embedded within) two trolling motors 120, at least onetrolling motor 120 and at least one thruster 124, at least one trollingmotor 120 and at least one propulsion motor 122, or any two motors(e.g., trolling motor(s) 120, propulsion motor(s) 122, and/orthruster(s) 124) that can be used actuate and/or steer the marine vessel100.

In an implementation of the process 400, the control system 200 receivesa position measurement for the marine vessel (block 402) and alsoreceives an orientation measurement for the marine vessel (block 404).For example, the control system 200 can be configured to receive aposition measurement P0 from the location determining component 220 ofthe control system 200. In some implementations, the control system 200is configured to receive a position measurement from at least one motor(e.g., the first motor). For example, the control system 200 can beconfigured to receive position P1 or P1′ from the trolling motor 120A or120A′ (e.g., from location determining component 140). The controlsystem 200 can be configured to receive an orientation measurement(e.g., a heading or direction D in which the marine vessel 100 ispointed) from the magnetometer 218 of the control system 200. In someimplementations, the control system 200 is configured to receive anorientation measurement (e.g., direction D) from at least one motor(e.g., the first and/or second motor). For example, the control systemcan be configured to receive the orientation measurement (e.g.,direction D) from a trolling motor 120 (e.g., from magnetometer 142) ora propulsion motor (e.g., from magnetometer 162). In other embodiments,the orientation measurement is based on at least one additional positionmeasurement. For example, with reference to FIGS. 8A through 8C, theorientation measurement can be based on a vector defined by any two ofP0, P1, P2, P1′, or P2′, or a second position measurement P2 or P2′ inaddition to P1 or P1′.

The control system 200 generates a control signal for a first motor atleast partially based on the position measurement (block 406). Forexample, the control system 200 can be configured to generate one ormore control signals for the trolling motor 120A or 120N (or propulsionmotor 122) based on the position measurement (e.g., position measurementP0, P1, or P1′). In some implementations, the control system 200compares the position measurement with a target position (block 408) andthen generates the control signal (or signals) for the first motor basedupon the comparison between the position measurement and the targetposition (block 410). For example, in an implementation, the controlsystem 200 can be configured to cause the trolling motor 120 (orpropulsion motor 122) to actuate the marine vessel 100 in a directionand/or speed to cause a reference point (e.g., center) of the marinevessel 100 to be at a location corresponding to position measurement P0.In another example implementation, the control system 200 can beconfigured to cause the trolling motor 120A or 120N to actuate themarine vessel 100 (and/or the trolling motor 120A or 120A′ itself) tocause the trolling motor 120A or 120A′ to be at a location correspondingto position measurement P1 or P1′.

To control the orientation of the marine vessel, the control system 200controls at least one second motor (trolling motor 120B or 120B′,propulsion motor 122, and/or thruster 124) based on an orientationmeasurement for the marine vessel 100 (block 412). For example, thecontrol system 200 can be configured to cause the trolling motor 120B or120B′, propulsion motor 122, and/or thruster 124 to actuate the bow 104or stern 110 of the marine vessel in a first or second direction (e.g.,to the right or left) in order to control (e.g., maintain or adjust) theorientation of the marine vessel 100. In some implementations, thecontrol system 200 compares the orientation measurement with a targetorientation (block 414) and then generates the control signal (orsignals) for the second motor based upon the comparison between theorientation measurement and the target orientation (block 416). Forexample, in an implementation, the control system 200 can be configuredto cause the second motor (e.g., trolling motor 120B or 120B′,propulsion motor 122, and/or thruster 124) to actuate the marine vessel100 in a first direction or a second direction (e.g., to the right orleft) to cause the marine vessel 100 to maintain its direction D orvector coordinates (e.g., any two of P0, P1, P2, P1′, or P2′) when thetarget orientation is the same or substantially the same as the measuredorientation, or to cause the marine vessel 100 to be rotated to a newpointing direction or new vector coordinates when the target orientationis different from the measured orientation. In another exampleimplementation, the control system 200 is configured to cause the secondmotor to actuate the marine vessel 100 (and/or the second motor itself)to cause the second motor to be at a location corresponding to positionmeasurement P2 or P2′ when the target orientation is the same orsubstantially the same as the measured orientation, or to a locationcorresponding to a new position (e.g., the target position) when thetarget orientation is different from the measured orientation (e.g.,when the measured position P2 or P2′ for the second motor is differentfrom the target position for the second motor).

Although the technology has been described with reference to theembodiments illustrated in the attached drawing figures, equivalents maybe employed and substitutions made herein without departing from thescope of the technology as recited in the claims. For example, thecomponents described herein need not be physically connected to oneanother since wireless communication among the various depictedcomponents is permissible and intended to fall within the scope of thepresent invention. Components illustrated and described herein aremerely examples of a device and components that may be used to implementthe embodiments of the present invention and may be replaced with otherdevices and components without departing from the scope of theinvention.

Having thus described various embodiments of the technology, what isclaimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includesthe following:
 1. A system for navigating a marine vessel having a bowand a stern, the system comprising: a first motor configured to coupleto the bow of the marine vessel, the first motor including a firstlocation determining component and a first heading sensor configured togenerate position and heading information for the first motor; a secondmotor configured to couple to the stern of the marine vessel, the secondmotor including a second location determining component and a secondheading sensor configured to generate position and heading informationfor the second motor; a third motor configured to couple to the stern ofthe marine vessel; and a control system in communication with themotors, the control system configured to: receive the position andheading information for the first motor and the second motor, receive aposition and an orientation measurement corresponding to the marinevessel, and generate control signals for the first, second, and thirdmotors based on the received position and orientation measurements ofthe marine vessel and the position and heading information for the firstmotor and the second motor.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein thecontrol system comprises at least one controller integrated with atleast one of the motors.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the controlsystem is configured to generate the control signals by comparing theposition measurement of the marine vessel with a target position.
 4. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the control signal is configured to generatethe control signals by comparing the orientation measurement with atarget orientation.
 5. The system of claim 1, further including a thirdlocation determining component operable to determine the position of themarine vessel.
 6. The system of claim 1, further including amagnetometer operable to determine the orientation of the marine vessel.7. The system of claim 6, wherein the magnetometer is integrated with atleast one of the motors.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein each of themotors comprise a trolling motor.
 9. The system of claim 1, wherein themotors are selected from the group consisting of a trolling motor and athruster.
 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the second motor isconfigured to be positioned on a port section of the stern of the marinevessel.
 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the third motor is configuredto be positioned on a starboard section of the stern of the marinevessel.
 12. A system for navigating a marine vessel having a bow and astern, the system comprising: a first trolling motor configured tocouple to the bow of the marine vessel, the first trolling motorincluding a first location determining component and a first headingsensor configured to generate position and heading information for thefirst trolling motor; a second trolling motor configured to couple to aport section of the stern of the marine vessel, the second trollingmotor including a second location determining component and a secondheading sensor configured to generate position and heading informationfor the second trolling motor; a third trolling motor configured tocouple to a starboard portion of the stern of the marine vessel, thethird trolling motor including a third location determining componentand a third heading sensor configured to generate position and headinginformation for the third trolling motor; and a control system incommunication with the motors, the control system configured to: receivethe position and heading information for each of the trolling motors:receive a position and an orientation measurement corresponding to themarine vessel, and generate control signals for the first, second, andthird motors based on the received position and orientation measurementsof the marine vessel and the position and heading information for eachof the trolling motors.
 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the controlsystem is configured to generate the control signals by comparing theposition measurement of the marine vessel with a target position. 14.The system of claim 12, wherein the control signal is configured togenerate the control signals by comparing the orientation measurementwith a target orientation.
 15. The system of claim 12, further includinga fourth location determining component operable to determine theposition of the marine vessel.
 16. The system of claim 15, furtherincluding a magnetometer operable to determine the orientation of themarine vessel.